Shunia: A Genre-Defying Album Focused on Empowerment and Hope

Sanskrit chants, Latin prayers, and ancient poetry meld seamlessly with exquisite orchestrations to bring feelings of joy to a listener if done correctly. In this rather impressive album, Shunia succeeds in its mission to share the revelatory power of chant that is perfect for spreading seeds of empowerment and hope.

Lisa Reagan, one of Shunia's singers, often found herself distracted by some of the chants she heard many years ago. However, her views on the genre changed in part thanks to the work of one chant duo, Mirabei Ceiba. "I absolutely loved it, and I listened and meditated to it over and over again. As a musician, I was so impressed with the beauty of the music. The arrangements and structure that had been created were unusual and compelling," she states. Feeling inspired, she gathered a team to begin recording her albums. 

Shunia is the powerful new self-titled album by vocalists Lisa Reagan and Suzanne Jackson featuring a dynamic fusion of classical and polycultural rhythms that can connect you with the surrounding energy in your environment. The duo composed eight compelling tracks with artist Hassan Hakmoun and Grammy-nominated producer Jamshied Sharifi. The state of "shunia" emphasizes the stillness and receptivity of the individual, not passivity.

These songs are with life. Shunia features the fusion of classical instruments/vocals from different countries to bring feelings of joy, hope, and awareness to Western culture at a crucial moment in time. Creating this album required the songwriters to overcome preconceived notions of a chant. In most songs, singers tell a story on the verse while singing a chorus. On a chant album, they’re saying the same words repeatedly. It's much more challenging to maintain an audience’s attention. The vocalists use the music to create an atmosphere that transports their listeners to another world. There is movement and the feeling of 'going somewhere' within the energy of the music. Each song and performance of each musician fills its creators with positivity. "I wanted to create music that would lift you, and give you hope and comfort" Lisa says. "Music has the power to do that. I believe it is our most universal and ancient language. I feel honored and blessed to have worked with such incredible people to put this album together and I can't wait to share it with the world."

Shunia's members combine their experiences to form music that sounds new and timeless. The mantras they chant on this album have been chanted for 5000 years. The intention in each word has vibrational energy to it, and the language spoken (Sanskrit) is an ancient holy language that carries the seed sounds of humans. The musicians who worked on this album offered a whole other level of intrigue, beauty, and magic. The unique ancient instruments they play so skillfully take listeners on a journey that tells a story with every note. In one part of the story, listeners are entertained by stunning compositions, virtuosic playing, and the duos' rich vocals. In another portion, one can focus on the wisdom of each mantra as it is expressed with deep conviction.

Each song in the album fills its listeners with positivity. From what it seems like, the music careers of its creators aren't ending anytime soon.

You can listen to the music here: Music | Shunia (shuniasound.com)

About The Vocalists

Lisa Reagan and Suzanne Jackson became friends while attending graduate school at the University of Maryland. Both performed with the Washington National Opera for 20 years while launching successful solo careers. The duo decided to meld their love for the power of chanting with their western vocal prowess. This led them to form Shunia (pronounced SHOON-ya), choosing the Sanskrit word meaning "stillness and receptivity" as the name of their duo.

About Hassan Hakmoun

Known as "the Godfather of Gnawa Music," Hassan Hakmoun is one of the most illustrious musicians to ever come from Morocco. Born in Marrakesh in 1963 into a family of musicians who introduced him to the musical world of the Gnawa. His mother is a mystic healer known in Marrakesh for her trance ceremonies. In 1987 he made his U.S. debut and soon relocated to New York where he continued to expand his music by including elements of American jazz and rock with his African styles. In addition to releasing albums of his music, Hassan has worked with many artists including Peter Gabriel, Don Cherry, The Kronos Quartet, Paula Cole, David Sanborn, and Ozomatli. His latest collaboration is with Shunia, co-writing and performing on two tracks from their new self-titled album.

About Jamshied Sharifi

Jamshied Sharifi is a New York-based composer, producer, and keyboardist. He has composed the scores for feature films including Harriet The Spy, Down To Earth, Clockstoppers, and rollerball, as well as contributing music to numerous television shows and independent films. He has produced and/or performed with Paula Cole, Ray Charles, Dream Theater, Laurie Anderson, Hassan Hakmoun, Yungchen Lhamo, Mirabai Ceiba, and many others. He produced Snatam Kaur's album, Beloved, which was nominated for the 2019 Best New Age Album Grammy and did some orchestrations for Sting's Broadway musical, The Last Ship. His latest orchestrations for The Band's Visit Won The 2018 Tony Award.